cryptsleeper: (Default)
Alucard \\ Adrian F. Ţepeş ([personal profile] cryptsleeper) wrote in [community profile] abraxasnet2024-07-18 10:01 pm

TO: EVERYONE [mid-july]

[ The message arrives to the Summoned in two distinct styles of handwriting, indicating that Alucard and Thancred are coordinating the transmission of this important missive in tandem. ]

Apologies for the interruption, but after some time of investigating, Thancred and I have found some interesting information related to a remaining mystery that dates back to the first time many of us experienced the eternal night of Nocwich.

Alucard is granting me far too much credit, please know he’s the one who uncovered this. But yes, for those of you who were here back then, I’m sure you’ve been wondering who was truly behind the attacks on the three Summoned delegates. It’s certainly haunted me, especially given that it led to the attack on Libertas and the subsequent retaliation against Nott.

It turns out that those responsible were a Nocwich faction of Josselyn Creed’s cult, who skillfully were able to manufacture equipment that appeared to originate from the Free Cities, thus appropriately assigning the blame.

It doesn’t excuse the Queen’s lack of a proper investigation before she made assumptions and mounted her attack, but it does give us all some closure. We can’t be entirely certain what the cult’s motives were, but we can speculate.

It is worth noting here that Josselyn’s cult has roots in a more established faith here, one associated with the concept of a New Day and the Page of Pentacles. I first heard the phrase when we were invited into the realm of the Fae, and it concerned me given how much it sounded like something that could be a cult. As it turns out, there are a number of branches throughout Abraxas. Josselyn was able to turn branches towards her own ends, which in turn explains how so many of us were taken when she executed her plan.

To add another branch to this winding tree, a small village associated with Nott called the Old Emberwoods still practices this faith, and there are other similar hamlets scattered throughout Thorne and Solvunn. While they appear to be harmless and practicing an untainted version of the faith, a few of us will be keeping an eye on them all the same out of an abundance of caution.

On top of that, a mage named Oliver is apparently from Old Emberwoods. Only a few of you may recognize that name, but he was one of the mages who helped a group of Summoned escape Thorne about three years past. Beyond that, all I have been able to learn is that he is older than he looks — about a century, all told.


This information was likewise shared with Sten, who some of you may know from Luna. He was kind enough to keep an ear to the ground, and eventually found an old flyer for one of this group’s meetings. When I visited the location in Ikorr earlier this month, I was able to find another flyer that had the impression of a strong hand writing on top of it. Making rubbings revealed the plans as we have just outlined them, thus bringing this information full circle. From the looks of the location, this branch of the cult has not been active since.

We realize this is a lot of information to take in, particularly for those of you who are more newly Summoned. Feel free to ask questions and we’ll answer to the best of our ability. With any luck, this cult will never again rear its ugly head and we have the answer to a question that has been plaguing some of us for quite some time now.

Likewise, we realize that this information may seem pointless given that this faked attack and the responses it garnered offers uncomfortable parallels to our current moment. There’s no true connection between them, and we are sharing this information for the sake of knowledge and closure.

(( ooc: In case it’s not clear, blue font is Alucard and black font is Thancred. Responses will come from one or both of them, and threadjacking is encouraged as there is a lot to discuss here! ))
itookashot: (inkonic-s-b-s2-jesper-12)

[personal profile] itookashot 2024-07-22 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)
It was three years last month, yeah?

If they come back, we'll just make sure to finish the job this time.
funbreaker: (pic#16108622)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2024-07-22 09:31 pm (UTC)(link)
In other words, this is simply a hunch of yours.

[ Fair enough, but Thancred would argue it's a bit much to refer to it as a theory. Still, he won't get too caught up on the semantics, unlike some of his colleagues. ]

It feels as if we would have heard tell of something when we visited the Feywilds ourselves, unless the fey agreed to keep their secret. I suspect there are any other number of places where they might be able to lay low. The fact that there's been no sign of them in three years is notable.
funbreaker: (thancred-court-049)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2024-07-22 09:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[ .......... ]

Good work. I can't believe I let that opportunity pass me by.
funbreaker: (thancred-court-044)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2024-07-22 09:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Then why not reappear as the situation worsened? It's odd that they completed that one act for the Summoned and then vanished without a trace.

Not that I expect more help than what was given, but it does make me wonder at what their motives had been. Perhaps it was their final way of telling Thorne to sod off before they went to become hermits or some such.
funbreaker: (thancred-court-044)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2024-07-22 09:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Architect, art curator, party planner, bunker designer, chef, detective. Am I missing anything?

No, I only wished to give credit where it was due. You've also been helping, I should point out.


[ NO YOU ]
funbreaker: (pic#16108646)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2024-07-22 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
If he's from Nott, you would think he'd be more familiar with Wild Magic than High Magic. I don't know if the type of magic practiced might determine a mage's longevity, and you are far more familiar with the magic system here than I am, so I would appreciate if you could investigate.

Though I imagine you have much and more on your plate at the moment.
funbreaker: (pic#16108649)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2024-07-22 09:44 pm (UTC)(link)
It seems much has been explained to you already regarding Josselyn's plot. While she was from Solvunn, her cult seems to have had branches throughout Abraxas, which is why people were abducted from all three territories. While I was not one of those taken, I did venture to the island where those abducted were kept in order to retrieve them, and saw the aftermath of the ritual that they were put through.

It was not pretty, and while no Summoned perished, some of the native Abraxans taken did. Many are still healing from that time, mentally if not physically.

As for the purpose of this announcement, it was to explain that this cult was responsible for yet another attack aimed at the Summoned, one which took place months before these abductions.
funbreaker: (pic#16108631)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2024-07-22 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
As much as I would like to consider this all dead and buried, I will keep an eye out all the same. A few have voiced their concern that there might still be remnants of the cult that remain.

Though as you say, it's possible none of them will be bold enough to make a move when the continent is on the brink of all-out war. To say nothing of the example made of their leader.
gynvael: (340)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-07-22 09:53 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't doubt there is.
I just doubt there's much merit in pursuing them.


[ A small amount of time passes. ]

I trust you and Alucard will not put this information in the hands of kings and councils,
but I don't trust everyone will possess the same discretion.
Edited 2024-07-22 21:54 (UTC)
funbreaker: (pic#14106050)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2024-07-22 10:53 pm (UTC)(link)
No, perhaps not. All we can do about that is keep a close eye out and hope that so many of Josselyn's followers ending up dead or imprisoned discourages them from trying aught else.

To say nothing of her fate, which was made quite public.
funbreaker: (thancred-court-019)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2024-07-22 10:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Proud of yourself, I see.
funbreaker: (pic#16108604)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2024-07-22 11:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I'll allow it.
funbreaker: (pic#16108649)

[personal profile] funbreaker 2024-07-22 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Bigger fish to fry, and all that.

[ And yes, there is that concern. ]

It crossed our minds when choosing whether or not to share this information, I will admit. Then again, those who would be most invested in knowing the truth have already been ousted from the castle. Is anyone in the Cities particularly close with the government?
gynvael: (mg: 003)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-07-22 11:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Hard to say.
We're a scattered bunch.
And I'm not exactly an inviting confidante.
gynvael: (075)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-07-22 11:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Seems that way.
I'll let you know if I hear something unusual.
itookashot: (KY_18)

[personal profile] itookashot 2024-07-23 12:56 am (UTC)(link)
Well, yeah, duh, that's what I meant. There are options but that would be the safest spot to hide from the rest of the world and anyone who might be looking for them.
magicalarchaeologist: (reading a book)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2024-07-23 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
Everyone has Wild Magic, it is both harder and easier to learn than the other kinds. It's the most natural, based in emotion and instinct, it's actually the first one I think a lot of people here learn as children.

To be able to supersede Academic Magic like that, he (they? I know a woman was with him) would have to understand how it works. They would have both had to be extremely skilled mages, and that means extensive training. The other interesting aspect is that they understood the court well enough to know where everyone was and to get ahead of the execution, and what spells they'd need to use to get around them. That doesn't just take skill, it takes cunning, and I would wager, inside information.

Where they were trained I don't know, but Thorne wouldn't admit to the Summoned if these were their own Hayle-trained mages going rogue, so we won't get any answers from them.
earthborn: (Default)

[personal profile] earthborn 2024-07-23 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
And just exactly what does that mean?

princessvegas: (216. but she's a blessing)

[personal profile] princessvegas 2024-07-23 01:51 pm (UTC)(link)
That's not true. About Wild Magic. It doesn't have to "supersede" Academic, like Academic is stronger or better or something. A novel isn't worse than a textbook. Just the same language written different ways.

And it was a mandatory public execution. Wasn't that hard to know where everyone would be.
magicalarchaeologist: (listening and curious)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2024-07-23 04:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not saying it's stronger, I'm saying it's different. To overcome a type of magic you need to be stronger than it. They would need knowledge of Academic Magic to get around it. Unless it appeared at the time like they were making it up as they went along, which is possible too.

You don't think they had previous knowledge of where to go and what to do? I wasn't there but as it was described to me, this required a certain level of finesse.
princessvegas: (170. gimme some more girl)

[personal profile] princessvegas 2024-07-23 04:35 pm (UTC)(link)
You can pick a lock or just blow it up with dynamite. Both will get it open. Academic Magic is just Wild Magic that's been controlled and forced into step by step directions, it ain't like High or New Magic where there's an extra ingredient in the mix. They didn't have to negate anything if they could just overpower or blast through it.

But we don't even know if they were doing that. There's other magic. All the races have their own magic styles.

I mean, they probably were in the courtyard at some point to get the mental picture, but they portaled into the dungeon and then straight into the courtyard. They smashed some kinda hole in the wards and then they were in.

That part never seemed mysterious to me. But Oliver knew how to find Relena to save her, and only the queen and some of her pet mages even knew what she was up to. And Oliver took her to the Singularity to heal her, too.

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